Crown Dealer Charged with AUD100,000 Fraud

A dealer at Crown Casino in Melbourne has been found guilty on deception charges after rigging a game of sic bo to pay out more than AUD100,000 in winnings to five friends of his who had not won. The game involves placing bets on the outcome of the roll of three dice.

The 20-year old student at Melbourne University was escorted from the casino by Crown Casino security and investigators in October 2015. He was handed over to authorities at the City West Complex and his five friends were arrested between October and November. The friends are being charged with obtaining property by deception.

The scam was caught on closed circuit cameras at the casino where the dealer was seen making a series of payments to his friends who were playing at his table. According to a source, the alleged leader of the scam took a 65 percent cut from each payment and then divided the remaining 35 percent between the friends.

Crown Casino has come under the spotlight recently being described as a “blot on the community” by one of the state’s most senior judges after it was revealed that the Crown’s chips have become a de facto currency among underworld figures and the casino has become a venue for money laundering and drug trafficking.

A spokesperson for the Crown denied the allegations and although they did not comment on the judge’s remarks, the spokesperson countered them by stating that the casino “does not tolerate illegal activity of an kind” and works closely with the police whenever necessary.

“Crown Melbourne has a long-standing and close working relationship with Victoria Police and other law enforcement agencies, who value Crown’s work in identifying criminals and bringing them to justice.”